Cigarette-cutting mechanism.



A. L. EwEns. CIGARETTE CUTTING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 3.1915.

Patented De.10,1918.

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v'UNITED STATESv PATENT OFFICE.

ALEXANDER LEE EWERS, OF DURMID, VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOR TO UNITED IGrARE'JTE MACHINE CO., LTD., OF LONDON, ENGLAND, VA CORPORATION OF GREAT BRITAIN.

ymechanism described is .of

j riage occurs at a fixed point.

CIGARETTE-CUTTING MECHANISM.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER LEE EwERs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Durmid, in the county of Camp bell and State of Virginia, have invented new and useful Improvements in Cigarette- Cutting Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to cigarette cutting mechanism and while features of the invention may be applicable to machines of dif ferent kinds, by Way of illustration, the the type usually employed for operating in conjunction .with continuous rod cigarette machines in which a continuous rod of tobacco is enveloped in a continuous sheath or wrapper.

The cutting-mechanism of such a machine operates to sever the cigarette rod into ciga rettes. These machines frequently make cigarettes having cork tips, or gold tips, and Suchtips are usually'applied at equi- Y distant points along the length of the rod.

fect the cutting of the rod in the mannerk suggested, it is found necessary to reciprocate the cutters so that when they pass through the rod they are moving in the same direction with the rod and at the same speed as the rod. When the cutters are moving in the direction toward which the rod is coming, the proper length of rod passes the cutters.

In order to effect such a mode of operation these cutters are usually mounted on a reciprocating carriage which is reciprocated automatically and when the carriage is moving with the rod, movable frames carrying the cutters descend and pass the cutters through the rod.

The reciprocation or travel of `the car- It is found in practice, however, that there is a slight creeping effect of the rod in one direction or the other which may be due to slipping or other causes, and for this reason there is a tendency for the vcut points of the rod to Specication of Letters'latent.

. along the length Patented Dec. 10, 1918.

- Appncationmea June-3,1915. serial No. 31,9`os.

creep away 'from their proper place, which, of course, tends -t`o produce non-uniform cigarettes with tips of Vdifferent length.

ven where such machines are not operating to produce corktipped or other tipped cigarettes, it is customary usually in the manufacture of cigarettes to imprint or imp ress a trademark of the maufacturer in the cigarette wrapper. These Vtrademarks are printed on the web or sheet which is to form the wrapper, and are usually printed at equidistant points alongthe wrapper so that in the finished cigarette rod these trademarks will appear at equidistant points o f the rod. `Where such cuttingmechanism as Ihave described above is used with a machine producing untipped cigarettes but having trademarks or other marks, the same difficulty arises as that referred to above, namely, there is a tendency of the cut points of the cigarette to creep along so that the trademarks do not appear uniformly at the same point on the length of each cigarette. e

A principal object of the present invention is to produce a cigarette cutting mechanism which will overcome' these difficulties and which furthermore, if desired, may be operated to effect ,an adjustment of the location of the point of travelv of the cutters with respect to the rod While the machine continues to operate.

`A further object of the invention is to produce a cutting mechanism for cigarettes in which the length ofthe cigarette can be greatly varied when desired, and this gives a great range to the cutting mechanism, rendering the machine capable of cutting very short lor very long cigarettes.

A further obj ect of the invention is to provide improved means for eifecting the independent adjustment of the cutters with respect vto the position of the cigarette rod, and to provide for the periodical actuation of the cutters to cut the rod.

Further objects of the invention will appear more fully hereinafter.

j The invention consists in the general combination of partsand details hereinafter described, all of which contribute to produce an etlicient cigarette cutting mechanism.

The preferred embodiment of my invention will be particularly' described in 'the following specication, while rthe broad scope of my invention is pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawing,

Figure 1 is a side elevation and partial section of a machine embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-section and partial section of the mechanism shown in Fig. 1, certain parts being broken away as in Fig. 1.

Fig. 8 is a plan of the mechanism, certain parts being broken away.

Referring more particularly to the parts, 10 represents a frame of any suitable construction, preferably including a substantially horizontal table 11 having a downwardly extending leg or standard 12. On this table there is provided a cigarette rod guide 13 which is preferably in two parts, 13 and 18b (see Fig. 3) which are supported on a carriage 14C mounted to reciprocate longitudinally of the table. For this purpose the table is preferably provided with. a guide frame 14Ca having on yone side thereof a V- shaped guide bar 15, and on the other side a similar guide bar 16 which is arranged to be adjusted inwardly through the medium of suitable set screws 17 (see Fig. 2). These set screws enable the wear at the carriage to be taken up.

The cutting mechanism is intended to be set up near a cigarette rod machine so that the complete cigarette rod will pass through the guide 18 as indicated by the dotted lines 18C in Fig. 8, and the cigarette rod is supposed to move continuously in the direction of the arrow.

Thecarriage is provided with means for supporting one or more cutters. such as the rotary cutters 18. In the present instance I have illustrated two such cutters and they are represented as rotatably mounted on spindles 19 each carried at the extremity of its Corresponding cutter frame 20, said cutter frames being; lcoselv mounted on a shaft 21. This shaft is mounted to rotatein suitable bearing brackets 22 which extend from the frame preferably in an inclined direction (see Fig. 2). If desired, these cutter frames inav be bifurcated so as to present two forks 23 and 24, lying respectively on opposite sides of the bearings 22. Each cf these cutter frames preferably also includes a rearwardly extending actuatingarm 25, the purpose of the arm being to form a connection with a drivingpart to enable the cutter frames toswing down periodically so as to pass the cutters 18 across the path of'the cigarettev rod 13C..

The wear on the edge of these cutters 18 is considerable and for this reason I prefer to provide means for independently adjusting the cutter frames so as to enable the position of the edge of each cutter to be regulated with respect to the position of the cigarette rod, that is, with respect to the axis of the cigarette rod guide 13. For this purpose thc hubs of the forks 24 are preferably provided each with a rearwardly extending wing 26 and each of Vthese wings is preferably provided with a circumferential slot 27 disposed 'about the axis of shaft 21 as a center. Furthermore, the actuating arm 25 is provided with a suitable clamping bolt 28 for clamping the actuating arm in any desired adjusted position on this wing. This renders the arm 25 angularly adjustable.

It is evident that when thev carriage reciprocates, the actuating arms 25 of the cutter frames reciprocate sidewise along withthe carriage, and therefore special provision m-ust be made in order to maintain a driving connection with the actuating arms during their movement with the carriage. For this purpose I prefer to provide a sliding connection and prefer to do this by providing the ends of the arms 25 each with a laterally projecting pin 29 which extends substantially parallel with the axis of shaft 21, the general purpose heilig to maintain av sliding connection witlrthe arms 25 lfrom members 30 which have a relatively fixed relation and which are actuated or recipro-- cated in any suitable manner in order to rock the cutter frames. In order to actuate these members or cam bars 30, I prefer to provide a cani. shaft 31 carrying cams 32 which correspond to the members 30, and said members or cam bars 30 have suitablel guide forks 33 located adjacent to shaft 231 provided each with a roller 3J: rolling on the cain 32 and attached to the cani. bar so that each cam bar is thrust in and out or reciprocated longitudinallyl as thecamspass. I

From an examination of Fig. 2 it is evident that the pins 29 do not move in a straight line to swing the cutter frames but move in an arc around the shaft 21, and any suitable arrangement may be adopted for allowing for lateral play or lost motion at the connection between the bar 30 and the actuating arm. In the present instance I provide a loose guide 35 for the outer end of the cani bar and I may also provide a spring 36 in connection with this guide which thrusts against the end of each cam bar and holds its roller 34 on its corresponding cam. This action of these springs 36, of course, also operates to return the cutters 18 to their elevated position such as that in which they are indicated in Fig. 2.

It is understood that although the cutter frames are supported on the shaft 21, they are loose and the shaft simply operates as a pivotal support for them. I-Iowever, I prefer to utilize this shaft to make a driving connection for continuously rotating the cutters 18. For this purpose, the shaft is continuously rotated by any suitable means having a driving sliding connection or slip connection. For this purpose, I prefer to provide a pulley 37 see Fig. 1) which is mounted between two sections of a slit bearing 38 and this pulley has a feather or spline not illustrated which runs freely in a groove 39 in the shaft 21. On this shaft 21 are two rigidpulleys 40 and 41 corresponding to each cutter and which hold the shaft on the carriage. so that when the carriage slides, the. shaft 21 and pulleys 40 and 41 slide -with it. These' pulleys 40 and 41 are connected in the present instance by twisted belts 42 with pulleys 43 which are rigidly attached to thel spindles 44 which are rigidly attached tothe. aforesaid cutters 18. The pulley 37 may be-continuously driven by means of a suitable belt 45 which passes up through a slot in the table 11 from the driving pulley 46, carried on a driving shaft 47.

.The spindles 44 of the cutters are mounted in adjustable threaded bushings 48 which maybe rotated so as to advance them longitudinally in the outer ends of the cutter frames 20. Evidently by rotating them in one direction, the cuttersl can be made to approach each other and fastened in a new position. 1n this way the distance between the cutters. can be regulated so as to correspond with the length of travel of the carriage 14 in reciprocating. `Opposite the cut ters 18. the sections 13l1 and 13" of the cigarette rod guide are provided with slots 49 which enable the edge of the cutter to pass across the axis of the guide in cutting the i cigarette rod. When the cutters are altered in the manner just suggested above, these guide. sections 13a and 13" are also shifted to-correspond with the new position of the. cutters. This is preferably accomplished by ,means of slots. 50 in the upper plate 51 of the carriage and through these slots suitable. clamping bolts, 52 pass for clamping the guide sections in any position desired.

Inasmuch as the belts 42 are flexible connections, they operate effectively to maintain a driving connection to the cutter spindles whatever may be the laterally displaced adjusted position of the pulleys 43, resulting from an adjustment of the cutters. However, under these circumstances it is advisable to use round belts and grooved pulleys in this driving connection.

I prefer to provide an arrangement for reciprocating the carriage which gives great ,range in the travel of the carriage. For

this. purpose I prefer to provide a member such as a lever arranged in such a way that the lever can be continuously rocked when the machine is in operation but arranged so 4that adjustments of the lever may be made which will greatly alter the amount of stroke or travel Vwhich is imparted by the lever to the carriage. 'In the present instance 1 prefer to provide a lever 53 which it should be understood is disposed below the table and is mounted to rock on a fulcrum support or bracket 54 which is adjustable to and from the table through the medium of a clamping device suchas a kclamping screw 55 carried on the bracket, and the bracket is preferably arranged to move longitudinally in a slot 56 in a fixed bracket 57 attached to the standard or leg 12. rIhe fulcrum support or bracket 54 supports a pivot pin 58 for the lever and provision is made. for adjusting this pivot along the lever 53, that is, for clamping the pivot in a new adjusted position on the lever if the bracket 54 is moved towardy or away from the table. For this purpose the lever 53 may-.be provided with a longitudinal slot 59. The lever is pref# erably reciprocated at a point-between the carriage and the fulcrum support 54 and this, in the present instance, is illustrated as accomplished by means of a drum cam 60 mounted on` the aforesaid cani shaft 31. This cam shaft 31 may be driven continu ously through gear wheels 61 from the aforesaid driving shaft 47. In this connection, that the aforesaid. cams 32, if desired, may be formed on the ends of the drum cam 60.

The lever 53 carries an adjustable roller 62 which runs in a slot in the drum 60. The upper end of thelever has a connection with the carriage 14 which enables the lever to reciprocate the carriage and this connection is arranged in such a way also as to" enable the relative position of the carriage with relation to the point of connection with the lever to be shifted in one direction or' the other and longitudinally of the directionin which the cigarette rod moves. The connection between the lever and the carriage'is preferably an oscillating and sliding connection. In order to effect this connection, 1 prefer to provide a shoe 63 on which the carriage is mounted to be adjusted longi# tudinally. For this purpose the said carriage 14 may be guided on a suitable guide bolt 64 (see Fig. 1). On the opposite edge of the shoe an adjusting screw 65 is provided which has a threaded connection with the shoe and a swivel connection 66 with a yoke on the carriage. 1f this screw 65 is rotated, evidently the position of the carriage will be adjusted on the shoe and longitudinally of the direction in which the cigarette rod moves. 1n the shoe there is preferably provided a loose oscillating vpin 67 and at the end of the lever there is provided a short stud or pin 68 which extends transversely through this oscillating pin and has a sliding connection with it. The oscillating pin 67 is retained in a suitable socket which is open on its under side to permit the pin or stud 68 to pass through the oscillating pin 67. IThis construction provides a slip-joint connection between the lever and carriage. Of course, when the carriage 14 reciprocates, the screw 65 also reciprocates longitudinally. In order to provide means for rotating the screw while the carriage is reciprocating, I prefer to form the outer portion of the screw 65 into a 'smooth stem 69 which is guided through a suitable fixed bracket on the frame, and on this stem 69 there is iXed a pinion 71. A constant connection is maintained with this pinion for rotating it lat any point of its travel while moving with the carriage. For this purpose I preter to provide a greatly elongated gear, that is, a iuted or roll gear 72, the teeth of which mesh with the teeth of the pinion 7l. This roll gear has a suitable stem 7 3 provided with a handwheel for rotating it.

It is evident that by shifting the fulcrum support 54 to dii'erent points a great difference in length of travel of the carriage results. In this way I am enabled to produce very long cigarettes or very short cigarettes.

I shall now brieflyi outline the general mode of operation of the machine. The rotation ot the cam 60 rocks the lever 53 and reciprocates thc carriage through the inedium of the shoe 63. As the carriage reciprocates, it carries with it the cutter frames 20 which are pivotally supported and rock upon the shaft 21. While the carriage is moving in the saine directionvvith the cigarette rod 13 and at substantially the same speed, the cutter frames 20 descend and pass the cutters 18 through the cigarette rod. The descent of the cutter frames is ei'ected by the cams 32 actuating the cam bars 30 which have sliding connections with the actuating arms 25 of the cutter arms.

At all times in the operation of the machine, the cut-ters 18 are being continuously rotated by their driving belts 42. Through the medium of the threaded bushings 48 the cutters 18 may be adjusted so as to bring them nearer together or to move them farther apart to correspond with the length of the cigarettes that are being made.

I may use any feature of my invention without the other features.

It is understood that the embodiment of the invention set forth herein is only oneV of the many embodiments or forms the invention may take, and I do not wish to be limited in the practice of the invention nor in my claims to the particular embodiment set forth.

What I claim is:

l. In cigarette cutting mechanism, in combination, a carriage, a cutter mounted upon and movable with the carriage for cutting a cigarette rod, a rotatable drum having a peripheral cam groove, a lever having a slip joint connection at one end with said carriage and a projection intermediate its ends entering said cam groove :tor positively reciprocating the carriage in both directions, and a ulcrum support for the lever adjustable toward and from said cam to regulate the travel of the carriage.

In cigarette-cutting mechanism, in combination, a 'ranie, a carriage mounted on` said t`rame,'guiding means supported thereby Afor guiding tlie cigarette rod, a cutter mounted on said carriage for cutting the cigarette rod, a shoe on which the carriage is mounted and which shoe is adjustably.

connected with said carriage, a continuously moving driving member, a lever engaging said driving member and connected with said shoe to reciprocate said carriage in the direction of movement of the cigarette:

rod, and an adjustable fulcrum support for said lever for supporting the same and for regulating the travel of said carriage.

In cigarette-cutting mechanism, in coinbinatioii, guiding means for guiding the cigarette rod, a carriage, a cutter mounted on said carriage and movable across the path of the cigarette rod to cut the same, a continuously moving driving member, a lever engaging said driving member, an adjustable shoe surmounted by said carriage` bination, guiding means for guiding the cigarette rod, a carriage, a cutter mounted on said carriage and movable across the path of the cigarette rod to cut thesame, a

continuously moving driving member, a lever engaging said driving member and con:

iiected with said'carriage to reciprocate saidv carriage in the direction of movement of the cigarette rod, an adjusting screw reciprocating with the carriage ior adjusting the relation of the carriage to the lever, a hand operated member for rotating said screw` and a slip-connection between the said hand operated member and said adjusting screw.

5. In cigarette-cutting mechanism, in combination, guiding means for guiding the cigarette rod, a carriage, a cutter mounted on said carriage and movable across the path of the cigarette rod to cut the same, a continuously moving driving member, a lever engaging said driving member and connected with said carriage to reciprocate said carriage in the direction of movement kof the cigarette rod, an adjusting screw reciprocating with the carriage for adjusting the relation of the carriage to the lever, a pinion carried by said adjusting screw, an elon-v 6. In cigarette-cutting mechanism, in combination, a frame, a cigarette rod guide mounted thereupon, a carriage guide also mounted on said frame, a carriage mounted to reciprocate and slide on said carriage guide, a shoe surmounted by and adjustably connected with said carriage, means for effecting the adjustment of said carriage with respect to said shoe while the carriage is reciprocating, a grooved cam, a lever having a fulcrum beyond said cam and connected with said cam groove to be actuated thereby,

and a universal connection between said.

lever and said shoe for reciprocating said carriage.

7. In a cigarette-cutting mechanism, in combination, a frame, a cigarette rod guide mounted thereupon, a carriage guide also mounted on said frame, a carriage mounted to reciprocate and slide on said carriage guide, a shoe surmounted by and adjustably connected with said carriage, means for effecting the adjustment of said carriage with respect to said shoe while the carriage is reciprocating, a cam, a lever having a fulcrum beyond said cam and connected with said cam-to be actuated thereby, and an oscillating member on said shoe and having a sliding connection with said lever for reciprocating said carriage.

8. In cigarette-cutting mechanism, in combination, a frame, a carriagev mounted to reciprocate on said frame, a lever, means for reciprocating said lever to reciprocate the carriage, a connection between said lever and said carriage comprising an oscillating pin supported by the carriage, a pin on the lever sliding transversely to the axis of oscillation of said pin, and means supported by said carriage for cutting the cigarette rod.

9. In cigarette-cutting mechanism, in combination, a frame, a carriage mounted to reciprocate on said frame, a shoe adjustably mounted on said carriage, an oscillating pin mounted on said shoe, a lever having a sliding connection with said oscillating pin transversely to the oscillating axis thereof, means for reciprocating said lever to reciprecate the carriage, and cutters movafbly mounted on said carriage for cutting the cigarette rod.

l0. In cigarette cutting mechanism, in combination, a frame, guiding means for guiding the cigarette rod, a pair of separated cutters having means for regulating the distance therebetween, means for moving said cutters across the path of the cigarette rod, and means for reciprocating said cuters in the direction of movementof the ro l1. In cigarette cutting mechanism, in combination, a frame, a. carriage movably mounted on said frame, means for reciprocating said carriage, means for guiding the cigarette rod, a pair of rotatable cutters, a pair of cutter frames carrying said cutters, and movable so as to move said cutters across the path of the cigarette rod, and

lmeans on the axis of rotation of said cutters for adjusting the same to regulate the distance between said cutters.

12. In cigarette cutting mechanism, in combination, a frame, a carriage movably mounted on said frame, means for reciprocating said carriage, means :tor guiding the cigarette rod, a pair of rotatable critters, a pair of cutter frames carrying said cutters, and movable so as to move said cutters across the path of the cigarette rod, and means on the axis of rotation of said cutters for adjusting the same to regulate the distance between said cutters, said means including a threaded bushing mounted in the cutter frame for each cutter.

13. In cigarette cutting mechanism, in combination, a frame, a carriage mounted to reciprocate on said frame, a cutter frame pivotally mounted on said carriage, a cutter carried thereby for cutting the cigarette rod, a cam shaft, a cam carried thereby, a cam bar actuated by said cam and having a pin extending substantially parallel with the direction in which the carriage reciprocates, said cutter frame having a sliding connection with said pin to enable said cam bar to swing the cutter frame, during its movement with said carriage.

14:. In cigarette cutting mechanism, in combination, a frame, a carriage mounted to reciprocate on said frame, a cutter frame pivotally mounted on said carriage, a cutter carried thereby for cutting the cigarette rod, a cam shaft, a cam carried thereby, a cam bar actuated by said cam for reciprocatory movement and having a pin extending substantially parallel with the direction in which the carriage reciprocates, said cutter frame having a sliding connection with said pin to enable said cam bar to swing the cutter frame during its movement with the carriage and means for guiding the said cam bar beyond said pin.

l5. In cigarette cutting mechanism, in combination, a frame, a carriage mounted to reciprocate on said frame, cutters, cutter frames carrying said cutters and pivotally mounted on said carriage, said cutter frames each comprising an actuating arm having' means for angularly adjusting the same, a cam shaft lextending substantially parallel with the direction in which the carriage reciprocates, a cam on said shaft, and a cam bar actuated bysaid cam adapted for reciprocatory movement and having a laterally projecting pin extending substantially pai'- allel With the direction in which the carriage reciproesites7 said actuating arm having a sliding connection With said pin to swing 5 the cutter frame during its movement with the carriage.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing Wit nesses.

ALEXANDER LEE EVVERS.

Witnesses:

L. A. HAMMERSLEY, A. DE MoTT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

